Estate of Lynn M. Rodgers, deceased, First National Bank of Commerce, Executor - Page 20




                                       - 20 -                                         

          1988) (quoting Ebben v. Commissioner, 783 F.2d 906, 909 (9th Cir.           
          1986), affg. in part and revg. in part T.C. Memo. 1983-200),                
          affg. in part and revg. in part on another ground T.C. Memo.                
          1986-318.  We are not bound by the formulae and opinions prof-              
          fered by expert witnesses, especially when they are contrary to             
          our judgment.  See Silverman v. Commissioner, 538 F.2d 927, 933             
          (2d Cir. 1976), affg. T.C. Memo. 1974-285; Estate of Davis v.               
          Commissioner, supra.  Instead, we may reach a determination of              
          value based on our own examination of the evidence in the record.           
          See Lukens v. Commissioner, 945 F.2d 92, 96 (5th Cir. 1991)                 
          (citing Silverman v. Commissioner, supra at 933), affg. Ames v.             
          Commissioner, T.C. Memo. 1990-87; Estate of Davis v. Commis-                
          sioner, supra.  The persuasiveness of an expert's opinion depends           
          largely upon the disclosed facts on which it is based.  See Tripp           
          v. Commissioner, 337 F.2d 432, 434 (7th Cir. 1964), affg. T.C.              
          Memo. 1963-244; Estate of Davis v. Commissioner, supra.  Where              
          experts offer divergent estimates of fair market value, we shall            
          decide what weight to give those estimates by examining the                 
          factors used by those experts to arrive at their conclusions.               
          See Estate of Davis v. Commissioner, supra; Casey v. Commis-                
          sioner, 38 T.C. 357, 381 (1962).  While we may accept the opinion           
          of an expert in its entirety, see Estate of Davis v. Commis-                
          sioner, supra; Buffalo Tool & Die Manufacturing Co. v. Commis-              
          sioner, 74 T.C. 441, 452 (1980), we may be selective in the use             





Page:  Previous  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  21  22  23  24  25  26  27  28  29  Next

Last modified: May 25, 2011